Seacocks Professionals Offer Amazing Tips on Building the Perfect Boat Fender

Your Seacocks Analysts Know That Boat Fenders Do Not Have to Be a Big Problem 

Raritan Engineering Company would like to share with you this week some awesome information on seacocks.

My main problem with boat fenders is that they appear to violate the cardinal rule of cruising: any object you bring on the boat should serve at least two purposes (the way your crewmate's favorite yellow shirt makes a great “Q” flag).

Recently facing a shortage of fenders, I came upon a temporary substitute-heavy-duty dry bags. Filled with air, these simple roll-top bags work just like inflatable fenders.

Someone industrious, of course, could insert an inflatable urethane liner into a more rugged, welded PVC dry bag, and achieve the same result. The outer bag could be easily fitted with web eyes for securing drop lines. 

Durability is a question. I'm not sure how long a conventional dry bag will hold up when used as a fender. If they are constructed with a material similar to that used to make the inflatable fendersfeatured in our recent test, they should last several years.  

So here's a challenge: Is there perhaps another fender design that could help it serve two distinct purposes? Or are there more uses for a conventional fender than first meet the eye?

Your Seacocks Experts Offer You Some Great Design Options

Your seacocks specialists know that for those who'd rather just stick with the tried-and-true, here's a DIY approach to more conventional fenders.

DIY Fender Board

The simplest form of fender board is adequate for most needs. All that is needed is a 3- to 4-foot length of 2” x 4”, 2”x 6”, or 2”x8”. As a guide, I'd start a t 2”x 4” for a 20-foot boat, 2”x6” for a 30-foot boat, and 2”x 8” for a 40-foot boat.

On a larger boat, you may want to use a slightly longer board, perhaps up to 6 feet long. Anything longer than that, however, is likely to take two people to handle, and be a nuisance to store.

A hole slightly larger than the diameter of the suspension or drop lines (say 9/16-inch hole for a half-inch line), is drilled through the larger dimension at either end of the board, about 6 inches from either end.

Next, round the ends of the plank and chamfer all edges. Your lines should be long enough to suspend the plank down to the waterline from whatever stanchions or cleats you plan to use.

After threading the lines through the holes, tie a figure-eight, stopper knot at the bottom of each line, and you're finished.

You can use your fender board with conventional round fenders, or you can purchase solid rubber cushions made specifically for attaching to 2×4 or 2×6 spars. 

The one embellishment you might wish to consider, if you have sufficient time and/or inclination, is a laminated fender board. This board is composed of three layers of 1”x 3” fir, hickory, or ash. 

Visit us at http://raritaneng.com/product-category/trudesign/seacocks/and see how you will always find more information regarding seacocks at Raritan Engineering.

via Building a Better Boat Fender

Seacocks Specialists Explain How to Get Through Those Low Pressure Situations

Your Seacocks Professionals Make Those Difficult Sailing Conditions Look Much Easier With These Tips 

Raritan Engineering Company your seacocks analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to get through those low pressure situations.

Your seacocks experts know that in conditions which are typical of the leading edge of a fast moving South Atlantic low, it is the ability to regulate speed and the level of attack which is being tested for the skippers at the top of the Vendee Globe fleet this morning.

Winds are reported to be from just east of north at 25kts, with relatively flat water. The speedo on board Alex Thomson's race leading Hugo Boss has been hovering around 24-25kts for a 30 minute period and the British skipper is 112 miles ahead of second placed Armel Le Cléac'h on the early morning ranking.

On seas, which are still relatively calm, the monohulls have ideal conditions to threaten the 24-hour record set by François Gabart in 2012 (534.48 miles). They need to achieve an average speed of 23 knots to sail 550 miles in one day and the skipper of Hugo Boss has been at those speeds since early last night and looks set to maintain that pace for the next couple of days…

Heading towards Tristan da Cunha

This foiling folly should indeed last two or three days as they ride on the back of the low sliding down very rapidly towards the Roaring Forties. 

It is therefore practically certain that Yann Éliès (Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir) will be left waiting almost 600 miles back at the station for the next train off Cape Frio. 

I stood there, facing the seated crowd of sailors and asked,  “How many of you have a basic minimum or less understanding of how to read a weather map?” At least 70% of the group raised their hands. 

Visit http://raritaneng.com/product-category/trudesign/seacocks/ to find more information as well as get assistance on seacocks at Raritan Engineering.

“What could it possibly have to do with me or my sailing?” they may have asked themselves at earlier points in their sailing lives. But here they were, committing a day to learn how to decipher the lines and make sense of the squiggles in order to make informed decisions going forward. 

That still doesn't explain all of those seemingly random swirling lines that surround the highs and the lows. On a surface pressure map, those lines are “isobars”-iso referring to “same” or “equal” and bar referring to barometric pressure. Those lines will tell us how quickly the pressure changes over a horizontal distance. 

Isobars not only imply wind speeds, they also imply wind direction. You may be aware that wind circulates around a Northern Hemisphere high-pressure system in a clockwise direction. 

Wind doesn't travel concentrically along the isobars, though. The wind will tend to want to get away from the high-pressure area and be drawn in toward the low-pressure area. Hence, at the surface of the planet over water, wind around a high-pressure area will toe out from the isobars at about 15 to 20 degrees and toe in towards the low-pressure system by the same amount. 

Of course there are other lines on that weather map. Some of them, indicating frontal boundaries, have little icons located along their length. The ones with triangles represent cold fronts. The ones with semicircles represent warm fronts.

Cold air is denser than warm air. When it tries to move towards a warm air mass it's like a bus trying to move a stack of pillows out of the way. It can do it pretty quickly. So, when a cold front comes through an area, the temperature in that area can change pretty quickly. 

Occluded fronts result from cold fronts overrunning warm fronts and the air masses mixing with each other. As those air masses mix, there tends to be less temperature differential and less wind along an occluded front than even along a warm front.

Learn more at Raritan Engineering regarding seacocks and other marine products.

via Vendee Globe – Riding the area of low pressure

via The Dark Art of Weather Analysis

TruDesign Experts Show How to Properly Balance Weight On Your Boat

 

Your TruDesign Specialists Say It Is Not As Easy As You Think 

Raritan Engineering Company your TruDesign analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to properly balance weight on your boat.

Your TruDesign experts know that when you see pictures of top pro teams hiking upwind, shoulder to shoulder, head to toes, know that they're not doing it for the photographer. It's fast. Your marine supplies New Orleans analysts know that setting up where your crew is positioned might seem straightforward, but if you look more closely at the differences in how your boat reacts by moving crew around and experimenting, you might find there's a better setup for your crew weight placement to get maximum speed upwind. 

Use the widest part of the boat. It seems pretty basic, and maximum beam won't necessarily be the exact spot to place crew, but situating the crew at the boat's widest part will get their weight outboard the farthest, providing the best hiking leverage. 

Check your flow off the transom. I picked this one up at a Greg Fisher symposium many years ago. He turned me on to watching the water flow off the back of the boat to make sure it was smooth and even. 

Watch your knuckle. Your marine supplies CT understand that on many boats, the lower part of the bow, also known as the knuckle, indicates how the crew weight should be oriented fore and aft. When sailing in waves, the knuckle should be out of the water 50 percent of the time. 

Dampen the pitch. Pitching is a big-time speed deterrent. Placing your crew weight together ensures you're doing what you can to limit pitching when going through waves. Get your team together, tell them not to be shy, and pack as closely together as possible. I'm always surprised to see how far apart many teams sit on the rail. 

Communicate with your team about how the boat is balanced. We've all sailed in inconsistent winds, where you're hiking one moment and sitting inboard the next. As the wind makes these transitions, the best teams keep their movements as smooth as possible. 

Your TruDesign Professionals Know You Need to Exercise Caution When Sailing in Inconsistent Winds

You can find more information as well as get assistance on seacocks at Raritan Engineering.

Your marine supplies Canada feel that the letters always start like this. “Dear Boating Magazine, your boat test said the Acme Superbad 26 broke 50 mph. I can't get it past 46. What gives?” My answer goes something like, “Well, did you look at the details of the review?”

Your seacocks specialists understand that we typically run our tests with two persons aboard and fuel loads ranging from a quarter tank to full, with no water in the tanks and no gear. 

Where's the CG? “On almost any planing hull you can just assume that the center of gravity and buoyancy is 60 to 65 percent aft of the bow,” explained Dave Gerr, noted naval architect and dean of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology. 

Your first line of defense is how you trim the engine. Trimming up redirects the thrust from the propeller and raises the bow, helping a boat locate its sweet spot. Gerr offered a simple visual. 

You can also compensate for load with trim tabs, correcting list caused by weight load by raising or lowering the boat on one side.

Some tips: If you load the stern with heavy scuba gear, stow some equipment in the bow to counteract it. Don't let all the fat guys sit to port; try to place them on opposing cushions. 

Raritan Engineering has more information on TruDesign and seacocks. 

via How to Blance Weight Placement

via Balancing Weight on Board

via Photo

TruDesign Professionals Keep You Alert Regarding Life Jacket Possible Dangers

Your TruDesign Analysts Are Always Looking Out for Your Safety 

Raritan Engineering Company would like to share with you this week information regarding life jackets.

Rule one: Wear a personal flotation device (PFD).

Rule two: Wear the right PFD for your on-the-water activity.

Rule three: Know what to do when your PFD prevents your rescue or self-rescue.

Testing any sailing equipment entails a high degree of responsibility, but this is especially true of safety equipment. A tragic accident off the coast of Costa Rica this week called to mind an important study that Practical Sailor did in March of 2013 on the trouble that life jackets can pose to sailors in the event of a capsize. 

In the tense video footage captured by an American tourist we see exactly how it can happen. The added buoyancy of the jacket inhibits the camera person's ability to dive under and get free of the hull and superstructure of the tour boat (a power catamaran, in this case). 

Your TruDesign Experts Help You Make the Right Choice About Personal Floatation Devices

Your TruDesign specialists know that the decision about what type of personal floatation device (PFD) to wear is not straightforward. It involves a careful risk assessment by you, the sailor. This is to say that the following guidance I offer should not be regarded as a one-size-fits all advice. 

1. If you are using an auto-inflating personal flotation device, think hard about the benefit versus risk of disabling the auto-inflate feature, so that it will only inflate manually (not all infalatable PFDs allow this). 


2. For coastal sailing in small boats (or even larger cruisers that operate within a few miles of shore in protected waters) consider opting for a “sport” PFD or a manual inflating PFD, instead of an auto-inflating PFD. The buoyancy in the auto-inflating PFDs is tremendous, too much to escape from under even a small boat.

Keep in mind, the risk of your PFD being a problem are extremely low and the benefits of wearing one far outweight the benefits of going without. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to be aware of how things can go wrong, and to understand the subtle differences in life jackets that can make a difference. 

“In other sports, participants recognize how essential gear can become a hazard, and they are trained how to respond in that event. Scuba diving courses teach beginners how to don and doff their tanks and buoyancy compensators.

“One of the most important observations made during this initial round of our testing was how important it is to practice bleeding air from the PFD bladders.

Visit us at http://raritaneng.com/category-pages/trudesign-products/ and see how Raritan Engineering always has more information regarding TruDesign fittings. 

via Hidden Risks of Life Jackets

Marine Head Units Experts Welcome You to Kiteboarding

Your Marine Head Units Specialists Say That Kiteboarding Can Be As Simple As Sailing 

Raritan Engineering Company your marine head units analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the excitement of kiteboarding.

World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing, claims that Kiteboarding on water is a discipline of sailing, and as such falls under the jurisdiction of World Sailing.

IFKO's Paes Fernandes considers that riders must be unconditionally free to participate in any national or international competitions without fear of penalties from organizations or sponsors.

Your marine heads units experts know that the GKA will be sanctioned by World Sailing to run World Championships and World Cup events in the Kiteboarding expression performance disciplines of wave, strapless freestyle, big air and twintip-freestyle and slider/obstacle events.

Simply put, California has tons of places to go kiteboarding. Whether you're seeking some of the best waveriding in the States, smooth flatwater, top-shelf instruction, or just looking to get on the water, your riding options are endless. 

Weather

California is famous for its weather. People move here because the weather is so good-especially in Southern California. Your marine supplies Miami professionals know that having just moved to SoCal myself, this seems true; the weather is nice (at least compared to the Northwest, where I came from), with an occasional rainstorm here and there.

When people say the weather is amazing here, they generally are not thinking like a kiteboarder.

They're not talking about the huge diversity of places to ride, each of which offers unique and constantly evolving weather conditions.

Visiting

If you're planning a kiteboarding trip to California, you need to prepare for what time of year you visit, where you'll ride, and your equipment needs. Your marine supplies Tampa analysts feel that kite sizes and gear preferences are exceptions, of course.

• Wetsuits: If you're coast-bound, chances are you'll need a 4/3 wetsuit. This is true the further north you go. During winter, consider a thicker suit and layer. In the summer, wear a 3/2 shortie or ride in trunks inland and in the southern areas.

Your Marine Head Units Professionals Know That Great Weather Means Kiteboarding Weather

You can find more information on marine products as well as get assistance on marine head units at Raritan Engineering.

• Kites: If you bring a quiver stacked with every size from 7 to 20 m2, you probably won't miss a day on the water. However, most of us don't have such a luxury. Your marine head units specialists know that if you don't already know, check with one of the local shops for details on what you should bring.

• Boards: If you'll be chasing swell or playing in beach break, bring a skim or waveboard (wave-specific kiteboard). If you'll be riding inland, bring a twin-tip. California has a well-deserved reputation for its surf, so bring a surfboard. 

• Gear on demand: With the evolution of high-performance equipment, many shops and schools offer demos of the latest gear. Check out the school and shop lists for contact details. And keep your eye out for brand-specific demo tours.

Beginner Beaches

If you're looking to take a lesson in California, your options span throughout the state. Your marine supplies Seattle experts know that many of the beginner locations featured in this article are more than just beginner places. 

Local knowledge

• Launch and land kites in designated areas only (never in the bike path).

• If you happen to get coated with Third Avenue's notoriously stinky mud (especially on low tide), use the hose behind the windsurf rigging area to wash yourself and your gear off.

• The upper launch area can be slippery when wet. Consider using a launch assistant in addition to an experienced kite launcher.

• Be careful of the questionable winds at the lower launch. Consider the upwind launch for easiest access to the water.

• Don't ride or jump too close to the point (where the bike path makes a 90-degree turn); the wind direction can be unexpected and possibly put you into the rocks.

Raritan Engineering has more information on marine head units and TruDesign fittings.

via Battle is joined for control of Kiteboarding

via California Kiteboarding Guide

Atlantes Freedom Marine Toilet Benefits Shown By Your Electric Toilets Experts

Your Electric Toilets Specialists Discuss the Pros of Buying Your First Atlantes Freedom Marine Toilet

What is Vortex-Vac Technology?

There are several ways to create a vacuum in a toilet. A traditional vacuum toilet utilizes a stored vacuum created by a positive displacement pump. Such systems require vacuum tanks and external pumps and controls.

Raritan's Vortex-Vac creates its vacuum by using the vortex pump mounted inside the bowl. This creates an on-demand instantaneous vacuum eliminating the need for external vacuum pumps, tanks and other mechanical components that can fail. This makes a system that is easier to install with significant savings.

Our Vortex-Vac flushing technology is also the quietest and most efficient in its class. Its low water usage also extends the useful capacity of your holding tank.

Contact Raritan Engineering at http://www.raritaneng.com/ and get more information and assistance regarding the Atlantes Freedom Marine Toilet.

Marine Parts Source Experts Ask, “Is Sailing Really That Difficult?”

Your Marine Parts Source Specialists Know That Sailing Season Is Upon Us 

Raritan Engineering Company your marine parts source analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the question, “is sailing really that difficult?”

Your marine products for sale specialists know that fall appears to finally be upon us. As I write, the temperature is not in the 80s, the sky is overcast and the trees are shedding their leaves, finally. I am still buzzing after sailing the foiling cats at the Red Bull Foiling Generation 'go for a sail' event last Monday. 

Halloween, cleaning up after Halloween, Veterans Day…really, go and check out Warrior Sailing. Think you're having a bad hair day? Honestly, this is a fantastic, real way to really thank these men and women for their service. 

Then there is Thanksgiving, shopping, Christmas present wrapping, New Year's Eve and related hangover recovery, skiing, and maybe Key West for some. It's going to be a pretty normal kind of life for those of us who are not Warrior Sailors or asthmatics, right?

On November 6, 2016, 29 sailors from 10 countries get underway in what really is the world's toughest sailing race. It is a race that makes all others pale in comparison, and pretty much any other 'sporting' activity too.  

Since a lot of racing experts are looking for marine supplies near me those professionals say that in the U.S., for those who recognize the name, the Vendée likely is regarded as one of those loony French, anti-social, single-handed races. Well, two out of three.  

The fact that the Vendée is hard, requires a special kind of mentality and approach, has many technical requirements and related difficulties that need to be managed, sometimes alone in very difficult circumstances, needs a team and leaders to make it all happen…well, these are the attributes companies say they want in their employees. 

Your Marine Parts Source Professionals Caution That It's Not As Easy As It Looks

You can find more information on marine products as well as get assistance on marine heads at Raritan Engineering.

Your marine heads experts know that a native of Boston, MA, Rich Wilson is unique in this edition due to his age, his physical condition, and his goal. This is his second Vendée Globe to be sure, but there are three other entrants embarking on their second and five skippers doing their fourth. 

Sailing isn't simple. Done well, it might be among the most complex pastimes we might select. True, almost anyone can learn to tail a winch, raise a mainsail, or tie a figure-8. 

I sail with teachers. My wife (who manages the pit), our headsail trimmer, and one of our bow crew are all teachers.

Teachers make great sailing mates, partly because they have summers off. More importantly, they understand how people learn. We often apply best classroom practices to sailing as a team, so that every member can learn and achieve. We have pre-sail goal-setting chats. 

The point is that it is possible to offer an ideal environment for developing confidence, building skills and then mastering sailing's complexities, but it requires more than rote steps. 

I like to describe it as mentor-led immersion; like learning a language by moving to the country of origin, but having someone who speaks your tongue available in a pinch. Your marine supplies San Diego understand that it takes work to make and keep something like this going, but it's worth it for everyone.

As a rule, sailing is dynamic; every moment potentially different from the previous or the next. It's an exercise in free-form adaptability, best guesses and finesse informed by past experience and better judgement. 

Many sailing programs have gone wildly overboard in terms of structure. Youth sailing is often about repetition and routine, since the only long range vision is an olympic berth where lottery probabilities apply. 

Think these ideas might be impossible? Can't insure them? Can't convince the board? Can't find the volunteers? Not the way you've always done it? Not sanctioned? Sure, change is hard, and that's the point. Sailing is hard too, but it's within reach and it's always worth it.

The right thing to do is often the hard thing to do.

Raritan Engineering has more information as your marine parts source regarding marine heads.

via How Tough Can Sailing Be?

via Sailing Is Hard. That's Why It's Good